Chapter Six
Dylan didn’t know how his brother had managed to pull Kayla into his little skip-school game, but he intended to find out. First chance he got, they would need to have a good long chat. But there was something entirely different going on with Kayla, her words loaded with deeper meaning. Finding out what probably wouldn’t be as easy as a chat, but he’d find a way.
He wiped at the sweat dripping down his face with the cotton sleeve of his T-shirt, stood up straight, and rolled his shoulders to ease the tightness. They’d moved hay and cleaned the barn for three hours and it probably hadn’t looked this good in fifty years.
The barn door creaked open. Dylan stopped to watch Kayla lug in a giant picnic basket. Tommy managed to get to her first, and the pair shared a laugh as he took the basket from her arms and carried it to the table. Dylan stayed partially hidden around the corner but had a clear line of vision to watch her.
She was like a cool drink of water to a man in the desert, and right about now, the barn was as scorching hot as a desert, without all the sand. But he wasn’t complaining if the result was seeing Kayla dressed in short shorts and a skimpy tank top. The image reminded him of the last time he’d seen her exposing almost as much flesh. It was the one and only time he’d lost control, something he couldn’t afford to do again.
It had been a day that started like any other day. A day that went completely right and completely wrong in the space of an hour. He’d been a fool to think he could give in to her and walk away without paying a hefty price.
He should have sensed something was different when she called him and asked him to meet her at the tree house. Her voice had been different, but he’d ignored it. The gleam in her eyes had been different, but he’d ignored it. Her innocence at odds with the curiosity of a woman testing her boundaries, but he’d ignored it. He’d thought he could handle it. He’d thought everything was under control.
He’d thought wrong.
Unprepared for her version of show and tell, the minute she’d pulled her T-shirt over her head, he’d known he was in trouble. His brain had said run like hell, but his feet had stood rooted to the spot.
The dark-blue fabric of her lacy bra barely covered her breasts, their smooth, creamy complexion begging him to touch. She’d leaned up against the tree, her long, sexy legs barely covered by cutoff shorts, their frayed edges curled up seductively, beckoning the eye higher to her flat belly button, pierced and bejeweled with a red ruby. God, she’d been a sight to behold.
Bolder than any cowboy he’d ever met, her intense gaze had crippled his ability to think straight. He’d been completely and irrevocably lost the second her top hit the ground. Never again had he been able to see her as a pesky little sister. She was all woman. Sexy. Bold.
Their first kiss had been filled with an awakening fire that burned hotter and hotter, her body melting into his arms, full of trust.
It was only after they’d made love that he’d realized the magnitude of his mistake. Her declaration of love and her determination to stay with him and forsake all her dreams had been a rude reminder of what was at stake.
There was no doubt she’d belonged to him, but there was nothing anyone could do to convince him to let her stay. If she’d stayed, he would have destroyed her.
His dreams had died with the death of his parents, but Kayla’s had still been out there, full speed ahead. He hadn’t wanted to derail her.
Their magical time together had ended with soul-wrenching finality, but it had been a small price to pay compared to the price his mother had paid for the same mistake.
A shrill whistle broke into memory lane. “Come and get it. Dad, Randy, Tommy, lunch is served,” she hollered.
He’d taught her how to whistle like a cowboy. Shrill, long, and loud. She had it down to perfection.
Food was like gold to a cowboy, and it didn’t take long for everyone to gather around.
“Where’s Dylan?” Randy asked.
About time someone noticed his absence.
“I’m coming. Keep your pants on, cowboy,” Dylan said, stepping out from behind the corner stall.
“That’s not what my lady friend said last night when—”
“That’s enough, Randy. Watch your mouth in front of my daughter.” Lou shot Randy a look of warning.
“Sorry, sir. Sorry, Kayla.” Served him right for running his mouth. Randy was keen on the ladies, and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Kayla since she’d walked through the door. But Randy knew the score. Friends didn’t poach in friends’ territory, and the Fearless Five were more than friends. They were like brothers. Should count for a whole lot more.
“Sorry, Dylan, I forgot you were here.” Kayla said, her apology void of any sincerity. A little too lighthearted, and a little too late.
“Ouch,” Tommy said. “Lady knows how to make a man feel special, don’t she?” He laughed, grabbing another bottle of water.
“She does at that.” Dylan shouldn’t have said it, but the temptation was impossible to resist. He was rewarded with a stony gaze meant to kill. She knew exactly what he meant. Luckily, the others didn’t.
The conversation switched back to wedding preparations and what still needed to be done before they could call it quits for the night.
“I better get back to the house. Enjoy the rest of your lunch.”
“Wait, Kayla,” Randy called out. “We need your help.”
“Randy’s right, honey. None of us have a clue about decorations, and we’re all finished with the cleaning part. Can’t you stay and order us around? Surely that would appeal to your sense of humor?” Lou tossed out the challenge, knowing Kayla wouldn’t refuse. When it came to challenges, Kayla never backed down.
“Okay,” she agreed with a grin. “But I’m in charge.”
Hour after hour, Kayla directed, and everyone marched to her orders. The place began to look less and less like a barn and more like a fairy tale wedding scene out of a Disney movie.
Balloons and streamers. Tables and chairs. Centerpieces. Flowers. Candles that had no business being in a barn. He hoped no one was foolish enough to light one. And the archway. It was a barn, for Pete’s sake. What was wrong with getting married under a barn door instead of hauling in some fancy wrought-iron artwork archway decorated with horses? There were plenty of horses in the barn to add ambience, including the soft whinny of a mare for real music. No metal archway could do that. And no number of scented candles or flowers would change the aroma of manure.
The only bonus of the entire afternoon had been watching Kayla in action. When she deigned to speak to him, it had been to give orders, but it was a start. Five years ago, she’d taken charge and let him know what she wanted, and it seemed like she still had no problem taking charge, only now it was with more confidence.
She possessed an undeniable strength. Unlike my mother.
The wayward thought struck him hard, like a hammer to the chest. Kayla was strong without a doubt, but would she have been strong enough? It was a question doomed to remain unanswered.
He turned the corner and didn’t see Kayla hunched over in front of Dizzy’s stall until all of his six-foot-two frame collided with her slender form, sending her flying. His hands shot out to grab her hips before she landed unceremoniously in a heap on the ground.
“Are you okay? Sorry.” His hands lingered longer than necessary, but he couldn’t let go. Touching her again was like fire in his veins.
She turned around to say something, her mouth hanging open in surprise, but she didn’t say a word.
“Kayla, what is it?” he asked. Her eyes misted, tears threatening to swell and overflow. Night after night, he’d dreamt of holding her again, but this wasn’t how he pictured it.
Dylan closed his eyes and dropped his arms. The temptation to kiss her was strong, but he couldn’t afford to make another mistake. Sucking in a deep breath to calm his racing heart and hormones, he sensed the exact moment she fled. Her flight would delay the inevitable discussion they would have, but they would have it. If nothing else, her reaction was proof nothing between them was over.
…
What was she thinking? Kayla tried so hard to ignore everything about Dylan, but her eyes gravitated back to watch him while he worked. Hard, lean muscles flexed like bands of steel across his naked back. The guys had shed their shirts in the stifling heat of the barn, but it was only Dylan’s half-naked body causing her trouble. A body she knew intimately and remembered as if it were yesterday.
But a nice butt, bulging pecs, and a swoon-worthy face weren’t qualities that meant a damn thing compared to ones like trust, or the true heart of a man.
For one split second she forgot the past. Forgot why she hated him. Forgot everything, except how much she wanted to kiss him again. To feel his mouth pressed against hers. For one split second she’d been the same naïve little girl chasing after him.
Dylan’s kiss and touch had promised her the moon, but in the aftermath of making love, his words had dealt her a killing blow topped off with a healthy dose of betrayal. There wasn’t a single reason to give him the time of day. Except one. Dylan Hunter still made her feel things she shouldn’t. Feelings that should have died after his betrayal. Feelings that should have been dead and buried with their son.
She was positive he wanted to kiss her. She’d seen the same look in his eyes once before. But unlike last time, this time he stopped. And unlike last time, this time she was grateful.
Kayla gathered up all the lunch plates, glasses, and discarded napkins, looking for a quick escape back to the house. Good food and hungry men always made cleanup easy.
The barn door scraped open, and Kayla turned to check out the new arrivals.
“Sophia,” she cried out in excitement. She dropped the lunch basket back on the table to hug Sophia. Her cousin’s timely entrance was the rescue she needed.
“Oh my gosh. Look at this place. It’s beautiful. I knew you’d make it perfect. I’ve missed you so much.” Sophia hugged her tight again. She stepped back to look around with tears in her eyes.
“I’m so glad you agreed to be a part of my special day.” Sophia smiled.
“I wouldn’t miss it for all the Elephant Ears in Texas. Although couldn’t you have found someone other than Ethan? I mean really?” she said, grinning up at the big lug standing next to Sophia, his arm around her possessively. The same big lug Kayla had always considered as a big brother.
“Hey, I resent that, squirt.” Ethan ruffled her hair.
“That’s saying a lot, because I know how you are with those Elephant Ears. I remember a time you hid three in a shoebox in your bedroom so no one else would get them and then forgot them until a week later. Rock hard and useless.” Sophia laughed.
“See, there you have it. And as for you, Ethan, I know you better than most, so don’t you forget it.
“I’m sure. You followed us around like a puppy dog and invaded our privacy on more than one occasion. Lord knows how many times we didn’t know you were hiding and watching.” He winked.
“The stories I could tell. But for now, my lips are sealed. Unless you break Sophia’s heart, then I would have to spill my guts. Right down to Mr. Todd’s bathroom, er, um, let’s call it a prank.”
“Kayla. Stop. You know about that?” Shock was etched across Ethan’s face as clear as the morning sun on a cloudless day.
“What? You have to tell me.” Sophia laughed.
“I know lots of things, so behave, is all I’m saying.” The guys had teased her endlessly for years, so it didn’t hurt to give back a little now that she could hold her own.
“I promise to love and hold her, in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part,” he said, his hand clutching his heart in an exaggerated gesture of affection.
“Save it for the vows tomorrow. Just one of those boys-will-be-boys pranks, Sophia. No worries,” she said, sending her cousin a devilish wink.
Doing Jenny Hopkins in the bathroom hadn’t exactly been a prank. Kayla had hidden in the broom closet of the bathroom, curious what the two were up to. If she’d have known, she would have made her presence known and left. But it was too late by the time she knew what was happening.
Everything she’d learned that day had changed her attitude toward Dylan. It was the first time she’d ever pictured Dylan doing to her the things she’d heard Jenny and Ethan doing. Things a man and a woman did to each other for pleasure. It was enough to make her want to put an end to Dylan’s sisterly treatment, to make him want her as a lover.
The others came over to welcome Sophia and Ethan. Easy laughter, teasing, and honest to goodness, real downhome pleasure, just like old times. How could she have forgotten this part?
The more they talked, the more Kayla noticed she was an outsider looking in. A part of the group and yet apart from the group, and she didn’t care much for the feeling.
“Hey, sorry guys. But I need to head up to the house to help Mom get dinner ready while you finish up. Sophia, you coming?”
“Of course. Bye, guys,” Sophia said, giving Ethan his own special goodbye kiss.
Her cousin was lucky. She’d found the love of her life, and tomorrow, they would be joined together, happily ever after. She knew it didn’t always turn out that way. Lots of her friends and acquaintances back in the city had already been married and divorced, some with kids caught in the middle.
Something she wouldn’t ever have to worry about.
The young doctor at the hospital hadn’t been able to explain her second trimester miscarriage, and he hadn’t been very reassuring about her future ability to have a baby safely. But his words had been enough to make her steer clear of even thinking of trying to have a baby. There was no way she could go through the heartache of another miscarriage, and the risk was too great.
Her father had taught her the difference between needing and wanting, a lesson she’d been forced to apply to a lot of things in life. Some of the wants she couldn’t have just hurt worse than others.
Kayla took Sophia by the arm and led her out of the barn.
“That’s some kind of male testosterone back there in the barn. Hot damn.” Sophia fanned her face.
“Don’t let Ethan hear you say that.” Kayla laughed.
“How is it between you and Dylan? Are you two okay? I was worried you’d be upset with me, but, all things considered, it was the way everything fell into place,” Sophia said.
“It’s okay. All things considered.” Sophia’s words said it all. “It was a long time ago.”
“But you still have feelings, don’t you? I saw the way you were watching him.”
“Hardly. I’ve moved on, and we know I never mattered to him.” Kayla didn’t want to go down this road.
“What if you’re wrong?” Sophia stopped and looked her dead in the eye.
“What do you mean?” she asked, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
“What if he’s still interested in you?”
She remembered the hungry look in his eyes. It didn’t mean a thing. She’d seen the look once before. “He’s not. And besides, I’m not interested.” Turning up the compost of their past would serve no purpose.
Sophia would be yet another person to add to the list of those disappointed when she made the announcement about her new partnership with the veterinary clinic. Everyone expected her to move home, and there had been many times she’d considered doing that, but all along, she’d known in her heart she could never be this close to Dylan and be happy. No one knew the reality of what kept her away, and telling anyone now wouldn’t change a thing.
Back at the house, Kayla headed for the kitchen in search of her mother and Derek. “How you making out, Derek?” she asked, surprised to see him helping her mother pull a casserole out of the oven.
“I’m helping your mom cook.” He grinned. “I’m feeling better, and she really needed me. Everyone else is too busy to help her.”
Derek was a great kid who obviously wanted to feel needed and to feel important. Just like every other kid. There was nothing wrong with him a little love and attention wouldn’t correct.
“That’s sweet of you. Thanks. Glad you feel better.” Kayla winked.
“You’re growing like a weed, but as handsome as ever, Derek. It’s nice to see you again,” Sophia said, ruffling the boy’s hair.
“Um, thanks I guess. Good to see you, too.” Derek’s face turned red. He was a good-looking kid, just like his brother, but he was clearly not used to compliments.
“Sophia and I are going to sit on the porch swing and chat. You have everything under control here with your assistant?” she asked her mom.
“Everything is right on schedule. Dinner at seven, and then I think everyone’s going to hang out for a while, but not too late. Big day tomorrow. You’ll make a beautiful bride, Sophia.”
“Thanks for letting me have the wedding here, Aunt Mary. I wish my mom and dad were here,” Sophia said, a faraway look on her face.
Her mother reached out to pat her cousin’s arm. “Honey, they are. They are always in our hearts. No one can take that away from you.”
“Thank you,” Sophia said, dropping a kiss on her mother’s cheek.
No truer words could ever be said. Once a person was in your heart, it was impossible to get rid of them. Dylan was proof. In their case, hate was a fine line from love. Both were strong, powerful emotions people had little control over.
“Run along, you two, and have a nice chat. Once those guys get here, you won’t get a word in edgewise.” Her mother shooed them toward the door.
“Don’t we know it,” they both said in unison, laughing.
“Oh, by the way, Kayla, I didn’t think of it yesterday, but the bride and groom can’t sleep together the night before their wedding. We’ll need to put Ethan in the spare room and Sophia in with you.”
“Sure thing. I’ll get the room ready.”
“I don’t want to cause any extra work,” Sophia chimed in.
“It’s not a problem,” her mother said.
They had barely sat down when the group of men came around to the front of the house. The wedding cavalry must have finished their work.
“Hey, guys. Everything done?” Kayla and Sophia stood as the men piled onto the front porch, grabbing chairs wherever they could find one.
“Done as done gets,” Randy said.
Ethan promptly sat down on one of the vacant seats, and planted Sophia on his lap. “Hey, baby, miss me?” Ethan asked, grinning as he nuzzled the side of Sophia’s cheek.
“Get a room, you two. Oh, that’s right, you can’t,” Randy teased. “Wedding night no-no.”
“What do you mean?” Ethan frowned.
“It means you get to sleep alone tonight.” Dylan laughed.
“Where the hell am I supposed to sleep then?” Ethan’s grin disappeared like the setting sun. Slow but sure.
“Mary’s putting Sophia in with Kayla, and you get the spare guest room. She almost forgot the old tradition until I reminded her this afternoon,” Dylan said and grinned. “You don’t want to start your marriage off with bad luck in the bedroom.”
“Laugh all you want, dude, because after tomorrow, I’ll be sleeping with my bride for the rest of my life. Small price to pay for good luck in the bedroom, not that we need luck. Everything’s fine in that department.”
“Ethan!” Sophia gasped.
Ethan’s chuckle turned into hearty laughter at Sophia’s shocked expression. The rest of the guys joined in at Sophia’s expense. Poor girl. Marrying a cowboy was never easy, but damn if it didn’t have some good perks.
“Awww. So sweet and yuck. Boring,” Randy joked.
“Your day will come, and then you’ll be singing a different tune, cowboy,” Kayla spoke up. “Some cute little spitfire is going to wrap you up tight and put a ring on that finger before you can say giddy up.”
“You applying, sugar?” Randy asked her, a wide grin splitting his face.
“No, not likely,” Kayla said.
“Every one of you will meet your special someone someday,” her father chimed in.
“Dinner,” her mother called from in the house. Everyone filed inside, one by one taking a seat at the giant picnic-style table used for old-fashioned family dinners. Home cooking at its finest, and her mom had gone all out for the occasion.
How in the heck she ended up with Dylan next to her was beyond her, but it wouldn’t surprise her if the guys didn’t have it planned that way. Up to no good.
Dylan leaned in close. “Can you pass me the potatoes, please?”
His breath tickled her cheek. A simple question, about potatoes no less, but her heart raced a little faster.
“Everything goes all the way around. You’ll have to wait your turn.”
“I know that. Checking to see if you remember how country folk eat a family dinner. None of the city’s highfalutin ways rubbed off on you yet, have they?” Dylan’s voice sent a warm heat down her spine.
“Who’s watching the bar while you’re here playing groom?” Randy asked Ethan.
“Someone dependable, no worries. I’ve been giving Becky more and more responsibility, so I can relinquish control enough to take my bride on a honeymoon. Tomorrow, I’m closing the place down so all my employees can attend.”
Becky? It was a small town, but surely he didn’t mean Becky McAllister.
“Wow. He must really love you, darling. I don’t think the place has ever been closed since his daddy opened it up twenty years ago.” Randy spoke to Sophia, but everyone nodded in agreement.
“That’s good to hear considering half the fire department will be here dancing and drinking. One less place open is one less place to have a problem and pull me away,” Tommy added.
“I’ve given the ranch hands the day off after the morning rounds,” Dylan said. “I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of anyone sharing in your joy of holy bondage,” he teased.
Dylan’s leg bumped hers. It wasn’t the first time through the meal. Accidental or not, she wasn’t certain, but each time, a sizzle of electricity rocketed through her body.
Grateful when the meal ended, Kayla needed to put distance between her and Dylan. Pushing back her chair, she rose. “Go on outside, all of you. I’ll take care of the dishes since Mom cooked,” she announced. Cleaning was the lesser of two evils if it came to that or going onto the front porch to join the others, or more specifically, Dylan.”
It didn’t take long for the room to clear out, everyone murmuring their thanks and praise for the great meal as they left. You didn’t have to tell a cowboy twice to get out if it meant not having to do kitchen work.
Kayla stacked the plates and carried them to the kitchen, enjoying the silence for the first time that evening.
Dishes clattered in the dining room. She pushed the door open to see who had come back to help.
Dylan.
“Thought I’d give you a hand,” he said.
“Why?” So much for a peaceful few minutes.
“Because there are a lot of dishes.”
“No. Why you? Shouldn’t you be out with the guys?” It was safer for her if he was out on the porch. Being alone with him would stir up memories best left forgotten.
“I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you. We were friends for a long time before we had sex. We have to talk about it some time.”
Her eyes widened at his blunt words. This was so not a conversation she intended to have here in her mother’s dining room with a group of people not thirty feet away.
“Shhhh.” She cast a nervous glance back at the door. “And, no, we don’t. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Kayla, please. Give me a break. It’s been five years.” He took a step closer and reached out to stop her from walking away. “Talk to me.”
She pulled away and went back into the kitchen. She rinsed the dishes without a word, hoping he’d get the message and leave.
Instead, he proceeded to load the dishwasher quietly. Side by side.
He was asking her for something she couldn’t give. Talking about the past would open old wounds, some of which he knew nothing about and were best left in the dark.
Nearly finished, Dylan came up behind her and placed one hand on each side of her head against the cupboard doors, trapping her in place without a touch.
“Listen to me. I’m sorry for walking away and hurting you. But it was the only way, you have to believe me.”
She turned to face him, all pretense of calm evaporating.
“No, it wasn’t the only way. It was your way. And you lost more than me that day, and you can’t get any of it back. Please leave me alone. The past can’t be undone.”
“You’re right, it was my way. But it was necessary. I can’t undo walking away, but damn, are you going to crucify me for doing what was best for you?”
“Doing what was best for me? You’re not serious? You did what was best for you.”
“If that’s what you believe, you don’t know me very well. I couldn’t let you stay. I couldn’t let you wither away and die like my mother.” His voice ached with pain as he poured out the last words.
What was he saying? His mother died in a car crash. What did any of this have to do with her? She couldn’t stand here and listen to him. It was too late. Everything was too late. “Go away, Dylan.”